Some thoughts after a recruitment process at a translation agency

Some thoughts after a recruitment process at a translation agency

Originally written by Cynthia Farber*

Translated by María Victoria Gil Robert

In February and March, we made a search for translators to fill a few in-house positions at The TR Company. Recruitment and selection processes always leave (me) many things to think about, lots of learning and findings, all of which I wanted to share with you at this time.

This is going to be quite untidy and unmethodical to honor the order in which the ideas and experiences pop up in my head. There must be a reason why I recall some before others.

1. I’m looking for a translator – not a vet, thank you.

The first thing that comes to my mind is that, if I’m looking for a translator, why would a psychiatrist send me his or her resume? I cannot figure this one out. Of course, I understand the need to get a job. But does that person really think that sending his or her resume to whomever, wherever, would be effective?

2. A translator of few words.

Colleagues who have e-mailed their resumes with no message, greeting or signature at all, also sprang to mind. Naturally, I know that I’ve got the sender’s information, that their data is also included in the resume, but I can’t help but ask myself: If you were to hand your resume over to any person, would you just drop it off without saying a word, turn around and just leave? Or else, would you at least say hi, explain what that is, why you are delivering it and thank them for their time and attention? In the digital realm, we sometimes behave in a way we would never do in person.

3. The devil is in the details.

I also recall cases where people have sent me e-mails with typos, and even with my name misspelled. I have discussed this issue in some forums and social network groups. Opinions are varied on how relevant this is and what its effect should be. My position on this is clear. I believe that if I am looking for a language professional, from whom I expect accuracy and attention to detail, a person who addresses me and misspells my name will definitely not be my candidate. People have told me that my name is hard to spell (really?); okay, it has a “y” and an “h” in it, but for a Spanish<>English translator, that should not be a problem; in any case, if it is, wouldn’t they come across as a careless or inattentive professional? Not to mention the psychological or emotional impact of making a mistake in spelling the name of a potential employer and how this may backfire… don’t you think?

4. Please define “specialist.”

Something similar happened to me with resumes from applicants for the IT Specialist position; they looked untidy — wrongly-tabbed margins, font types that turned into scribbles when converting the file into .pdf, inconsistently aligned text (parts of the text aligned to the center and others not). Isn’t an IT Specialist supposed to know how to use Word’s basic tools for a good layout or is this just considered a design and aesthetic-related matter?

5. Stick to the rules.

Another issue — one that, unfortunately, occurrs too often — are emails that fail to mention references to the position the sender is applying for, despite the fact that one of the requirements for resume presentation is to inform that in the e-mail subject.

6. The magic word.

Once all candidates were interviewed, The TR Company’s team informed each of them who had been selected and who hadn’t. They really appreciated this and I feel this has everything to do with respecting others, their time, and their interest in being a part of our team. They thanked us for our respect, kindness, courtesy and professionalism. Thank you again!

7. Respect privacy and personalize your emails.

Lastly, I would like to mention something I saw very often in emails we received recently: Many applicants sent their resumes cc’ing several other companies openly. This does not look good. First, this allows for spam, since in a way they are giving our email address to hundreds of colleagues and/or competitors. Professionals who do this run the risk of being automatically discarded, since email servers may regard them as spammers and filter their messages to our spam folder. Second, this may be interpreted as a disinterest in individualizing an application and a lack of a genuine interest in working at our company. The message we get is “whatever”, anything goes. And, although this may be true, it is not the first message you want to give to a potential employer.

*We hope you’ll find these thoughts and suggestions useful!

*Good luck in your search and we hope you can find a job that allows you to grow professionally and to work happily!

The TR Company S.A. is a translation company with more than 20 years of experience in the sector, with a consolidated and skilled team ready to give efficient solutions to language needs, meeting any required deadline.

We offer translations into Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew, and Russian. All these languages are generally combined with Spanish, although they may also be paired with English.

Cynthia Farber, President of The TR Company S.A., is a certified translator, specialist in business and the law, professor, and writing consultant. She has taught hundreds of seminars on legal writing, public speaking, and related topics, and has overseen the drafting of significant contracts and other legal documents generated by many of the country’s top law firms.